Positive Attitude 

As a marathon runner, you know how important it is to have a positive mindset during training and on race day. Negative thoughts can be debilitating, leading to self-doubt, decreased motivation and decreased performance. So, it’s crucial to learn how to filter out these thoughts and maintain a positive attitude.

Here are some tips for filtering out negative thoughts:

Acknowledge them: The first step in filtering out negative thoughts is to acknowledge that they exist. Negative thoughts are normal, and everyone experiences them from time to time. Don’t beat yourself up for having them, but instead acknowledge them and then move on.

Reframe your thoughts: When you have a negative thought, try to reframe it in a positive way. For example, instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” try to think “I’m going to give it my best shot.” This will help you maintain a positive outlook and increase your motivation.

Surround yourself with positive people: Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people will help you maintain a positive outlook and stay motivated. Run with friends who believe in you, and avoid running with people who are negative or always complaining.

Practice gratitude: Gratitude helps to shift your focus from the negative to the positive. Make a list of the things you’re thankful for, and read it before and after your runs. This will help you maintain a positive outlook and increase your motivation.

Visualize success: Visualizing success can help you filter out negative thoughts and maintain a positive outlook. Close your eyes and imagine yourself crossing the finish line, feeling strong and confident. Repeat this visualization often to keep your mindset positive.

In conclusion, filtering out negative thoughts is essential for marathon training and race day. By acknowledging negative thoughts, reframing them, surrounding yourself with positive people, practicing gratitude and visualizing success, you’ll be able to maintain a positive outlook and increase your motivation. Good luck on your marathon journey!

Self-Mastery and Training for a Marathon: The Journey to Personal Growth and Development

Training for a marathon is not just about pushing yourself physically, but also about tapping into the power of self-mastery. The marathon journey can serve as a catalyst for personal growth and development, providing an opportunity for you to explore your limits, push yourself beyond what you thought was possible, and grow as a person.

Self-mastery is the process of developing self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-control. It requires you to be intentional about your thoughts, actions, and habits, and to make a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself.

Here are a few tips for how you can use your marathon training to cultivate self-mastery:

Set realistic goals: The first step to self-mastery is setting clear and realistic goals. When it comes to marathon training, this means identifying your desired finish time, your training schedule, and what you need to do to achieve your goal. This helps you to stay focused and motivated during the training process.

Develop a growth mindset: A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and skills can be developed through effort and perseverance. This mindset can help you overcome obstacles and setbacks that you may face during your marathon training. Embrace the challenge and view it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Practice self-discipline: Self-discipline is the foundation of self-mastery. It requires you to consistently take actions that are aligned with your goals, even when you don't feel like it. When it comes to marathon training, this means following your training plan, even on days when you're feeling tired or unmotivated.

Focus on the process: While it's important to have a goal in mind, it's equally important to focus on the process of training. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and focus on what you're learning along the way.

Embrace the challenge: Training for a marathon is a big commitment, and it's not always easy. But it's important to embrace the challenge and push yourself beyond what you thought was possible. This is where you'll grow the most and discover the power of self-mastery.

Training for a marathon is not just about crossing the finish line, it's about the journey. Use this opportunity to cultivate self-mastery and take your personal growth and development to the next level. Good luck!

Keeping it simple 

Training for a marathon can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. One key aspect to making the process more manageable is to keep things simple. By focusing on the basics and avoiding the temptation to overcomplicate things, you can set yourself up for success and enjoy the journey to the finish line.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when training for a marathon is to focus on consistency. Instead of trying to cram in as much training as possible in a short period of time, it's better to build up your mileage gradually over a longer period of time. This will allow your body to adapt to the increased workload and reduce the risk of injury.

Another key aspect to keeping things simple is to focus on the basics of training. This means prioritizing regular runs, strength training, and stretching. While there are many different types of training that can be beneficial for marathoners, such as speed work or hill training, it's important to not get bogged down in the details and to stick to the basics.

Another important factor to keep in mind is to listen to your body. When you're feeling tired or run down, it's important to take a step back and rest. Trying to push through fatigue or injury can lead to more serious problems in the long run.

When it comes to nutrition, it's important to keep things simple as well. Instead of trying to follow complicated diets or meal plans, focus on eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Make sure to also drink enough water and stay hydrated.

Finally, make sure to enjoy the process and have fun. Training for a marathon is a big accomplishment and it's important to remember why you started in the first place. Take time to appreciate the progress you've made, and don't forget to reward yourself along the way.

In conclusion, training for a marathon can be a daunting task, but by keeping things simple and focusing on the basics, you can make the process more manageable and enjoyable. Remember to focus on consistency, the basics of training, listening to your body, keeping nutrition simple and enjoying the process. With these tips in mind, you'll be well on your way to crossing the finish line with confidence.

 Running on air

There are rare days where the miles just flow and time stands still. It comes unexpectedly and you can’t force it to happen. Your body, especially the legs, have to cooperate with the mind and that’s when the magic happens. You can’t plan for it, for me, it just happens. During these runs, you feel like you can run on and on. I had to catch it when it finds me. I have to remember what led to this and try to mimic the same actions. That’s why I am keeping a running journal to see if there are trends and if so, I can try to develop a system around it. 

I have noticed if I do a few sets of leg press, my legs are primed for running. I have been going through this routine and it is working out. I will continue to stay on this while taking a few off days to see if there’s a pattern.

December is here. Let’s make a plan to see what we can accomplish this month. 

• i will run a 10k and 15k during a weekend in December

• I will swim 7k (yards) this month

• I will swim/bike/run one day this month

Paint by number

When I was young, I came across coloring books where pages were filled with outlines of animals with numbers scattered all around a frame which presumably is a picture of a zoo animal. The objective of the coloring book is to follow the numbers (1 = red; 2 = black; etc) and color in all the predefined numbers until the page is all colored and filled with the corresponding color scheme. Once completed, an animal appears like magic. For some of us, this paint by number way of thinking is how we operate in our life. We just follow the numbers on a page and color within the boundaries and all will be revealed. It's so easy to live life this way.

I tried a similar route to my training plan. I tried using a template from the internet as my training plan but I never stuck to it from start to finish. However, I am rethinking my strategy this time. I am going to create a plan of my own to reflect my current fitness. I will put together a first draft after I pick my first race for 2023. We’re all unique so our training plan should reflect our uniqueness. We can use what’s on the internet as a reference for which we can build our training plan. However, we should broaden our strokes and paint outside the lines in order to discover what we’re capable of. 

The preparation

We all need a goal before we begin a race/project/dinner party. Sometimes, the fun is doing the planning, getting the ingredients ready for the meal or just procrastinating from doing our work. We often distract ourselves from doing what we told ourselves to do hoping that the thing we’re supposed to do will get done on its own. It never works out that way. The distraction will lead to a last minute rush to get the thing done. The result will show that we’ve done it half-assed. We have to make an upfront commitment and put it on the calendar and draw a big circle around the date. Let it stare at us until we’re so tired of looking at it then we take action. 

I have my big red circle around October 2025. That’s the date I will be running my first attempt at a Boston Marathon qualifying race. It’s my first attempt because I know there are variables outside of my control. All I can control is doing my training consistently and trusting the process. There will be many mini-milestones before then. The work now is to run steadily around 30 miles per week and slowly increase 1% each week for 3 months. Afterwards, I will see where I am and what my body is telling me before I take my training to the next phase.

“ I do what is mine to do; the rest doesn’t disturb me.” Book six-verse23, Meditations 

Why am I starting this blog?

Dear Self, 

Why am I starting this blog? What is the intention behind this scary act of putting our private thoughts where anyone can see? Here are a few somewhat logical or illogical reasons.

• I am training to run in a Boston Qualifying (BQ) race before turning 50. I will track my progress using this blog which will serve as a digital notebook for my training.
• This public platform will serve as a personal lab for me to practice my writing, 
• I love to read about philosophy. I am using this blog to clarify concepts I'm reading so I can absorb them into my daily life. 
• I have a strange cat who acts like a dog. I will record his shenanigans so you can decide for yourself.  

Running Log

This will be an online running-log with details of my training runs. I am targeting the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania to be my BQ race in October 2025. I will blog about my progress with my training, nutrient, diet and sleep and any other factors that have an impact on my results. 

It's a practice

This blog is to help me improve my writing. Knowing that I need to publish on a certain date, I will make sure I don't miss the deadline. I know this is will bug me if I don't finish or finish late. The act of writing -really write and not read about writing- will only improve my writing. So I am determined to tap tap away on a set schedule.  

Clarifying concepts

I will write down in my own words the concepts I am reading in order to clarify what I am learning. Using my own words to explain is the best way to learn the materials. 

Including philosophy in my writing will add another dimension to the running blog. Since it's an interest of mine, I will try to squeeze in a little Marcus Aurelius wherever I can. 

ManTou, the Cat

He acts like a dog. He is a Van breed, which we adopted over a year ago. This is why we gave him his birthday (DOB July 2021). There will be more on him later.

A blog wouldn't be complete without a foil in the story. It will give the blog another subject other than myself to write about. I will include him in my story whenever he acts like a screwball which is all the time.

"I'm not here"